An act of skill and courage

[aigel]

Originally Posted by gacook

Most exhilerating adrenaline rush you'll ever experience.

So good, it will give you a seizure!

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by aap1966

Jump master traveling at terminal velocity, say 120 mph.
Descent rate of jumper with deployed chute? Say, 24 feet per second. (~18 mph)
Speed differential? ~100 mph
UNLESS the jump master deployed his chute at exactly the same instant, he ain't holding on to the jumper.

When I read the title, I meant I figured the jumpmaster would have wrapped his arms through the guy's straps and created a tandem after the fact and ridding it down together. That's what I was expecting.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by stuartj

You may have seen this footage- a free falling sky diver has an epileptic episode. The skill and courage displayed by the jump master in this footage is exemplary. I hope he gets recognised for it.

In the skydiving world, seeing an AFF instructor dock with a student and deploy their canopy is not uncommon. You can have a student sit through several hours of instruction, "dirt dives", and muscle memory exercises on the ground. Then, when the door opens at 14k ft., it's total brain-lock. If an instructor is forced to pull a student's rip-cord, it's usually what we call "OSB" (other sports beckon), and once on the ground, they are strongly encouraged to seek out other activities other than skydiving.

There are plenty of jumpers that make their instructors "earn their money" while still on student-status. The only stand-out in this instance is that the kid had a seizure (and it was on video). While the instructor's actions were commendable, it wasn't something that was highly courageous or heroic IMO (and I'm sure the instructor would agree). Believe it our not, there are actually less ideal (and more difficult) situations with regard to AFF students. You can have a student in free-fall that totally "losses it" and/or starts to panic and flail wildly. That can make it all kinds of fun to deal with.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by stuartj

What I know about sky diving would fit on the end of a pin...but to dive and intercept an out of control jumper, without a collision, without an overshoot...just one chance I'd guess.

Mad aerial skillz, a cool head and enormous personal risk.

The skills required are compulsory at that level (AFF instructor), and are learned early on. Being able to track and softly dock with others ("flying your body") is one of the fundamental skills you learn when pursuing free-fall skydiving as a sport. Not to mention, any AFF instructor is put through scenarios and actual dives with their instructors acting as out-of-control flailing students. You have to be able to track to them, dock with them, put them in a stable body position, and deploy their canopy.

It is sort of analogous to a CFI their student pilot. A seasoned CFI acknowledges that their student is basically trying to kill them both at all times, and it's their job not to let that happen.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I will never understand the urge to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft.

As Blue mentioned, there is no such thing.

ESPCECIALLY at a drop zone, lol.

Kidding...sort of.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

I assumed the jumpmaster would have held on to him the rest of the way down. I'm not sure why he didn't.

Originally Posted by VaSteve

When I read the title, I meant I figured the jumpmaster would have wrapped his arms through the guy's straps and created a tandem after the fact and ridding it down together. That's what I was expecting.

That only works in the movies.

Even if you managed to hang on to him and deploy your canopy, you would have to deal with an unconscious 150+ lb. student that is NOT attached to you via a harness. You would have to hold on to him somehow, while needing both hands to properly fly your canopy, which has now just had it's wing-loading doubled.

Or, if you managed to hang on to his harness and deploy his chute, then you would be a passenger all the way down, without any control of where you are heading/landing, at the same doubled wing-loading (much faster descent rate and landing speed).

It is much, much safer (for both parties) to simply deploy the student's chute for him, even if he were to never regain consciousness.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

Dave Hartsock still takes the skydiving instructor hero award, though.

I remember that.

For me it would be Bob Woodley, back in `98 at Kapowsin (WA). He saved his tandem student after a double malfunction (much higher vertical decent rate), and paid the ultimate price.

I was at the DZ that weekend, and there were two deaths in the span of two days: One tandem instructor (Bob) on Saturday, and one tandem student on Sunday. The FAA came in a shut the place down to investigate both incidents.

No fatalities there in nearly 20 years, then 2 in as many days.

[Chocaholic]

Seems a bit of regulation might be worth consideration here. Ever had an epileptic seizure? Ever been on medication for such? If answer is yes...no sky diving...period.

Doc that cleared him made a bad call that could have cost two lives. Person with epilepsy anywhere in his medical file decided it would be a good idea to sky-dive...is not using good judgment and could have cost two lives.

Red flags all over the place.